Wyoming to get more information on worker fatalities

Laramie, Wy – The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health will present its findings on what is causing Wyoming's high number of worker fatalities this week. The Governor's worker safety task force is receiving help from the national agency. It collects data on the cause of worker deaths. Earlier this summer, that agency announced that a major cause of worker fatalities in Wyoming is low seatbelt use. More detailed data comes out on Thursday in Cheyenne. Wyoming's oil and gas industry is one that has received scrutiny for its high rate of worker deaths. Gary Hartman, who oversees the task force, says they may learn more about the links between transportation fatalities and other industries, like oil and gas."How long are these people commuting? Are they fully rested when they come to commute? Are 12-hour shifts the most optimal shifts for people in oil and gas or should they be shorter? What about worker fatigue? I mean there's a lot of issues that relate to oil and gas as it does to any other industry."Wyoming will use the new data to identify possible ways to bring down its worker fatality rate. That rate is among the highest in the nation.